I have a few days off now after my shift in the studio last night. It was an enjoyable evening and we discussed many issues including just how much difference jockeys make. I am of the opinion that they make a huge difference, and that the notion that if the horse is good enough anybody could win on it is a bogus one.

Quite simply, if I fancy a horse in a race but it is going to be ridden by a jockey whom I do not rate, I will not back it. The reason for this is I could never forgive myself if he contrived to get beaten by making a fundamental error. Of course all jockeys are prone to mistakes, they are human after all, but some make a lot more errors than others.

You may ask what can go wrong if they are on the best horse in the race, well the answer to that is plenty. Some will argue that as long as you feel there is compensation in the price for your slight doubts then you should still have the bet, is brings us back to the concept of value that I was talking about the other day and surely although you are getting a big price, you are actually getting that price for a reason.

No joy with our selection yesterday. Today I am keen on two horses. First up I like Super Duty in the 1.55 Haydock. This horse was a 142 rated hurdler and made a satisfactory chasing debut at Carlisle when runner up to Bury Parade. He clearly found the two miles that day far too sharp and given that his best hurdling form was over two and a half miles his trip of 2m 6f over fences should be ideal. He is a front runner and that is often an advantage in very soft ground, add to that the assistance of Jason Maguire and you have a horse who is worth backing this afternoon. If you are so minded he would be a nice vehicle for backing and then laying in-running.

My second selection comes in the 6.10 Wolverhampton in the form of Tatting. He won a handicap at the track last time out in a decent time and looks capable of following up under Graham Lee this evening. Having only had five races in his career he is open to plenty of improvement and should go close.